Oyster-tongs.



M. LAWRENCE. OYSI'E-R TUNGS.

(Application led Nov. 6, 1901.)

un. 702304. Patenten lune lo, 1902.

(ud Modal.)

wigessas A ewlljegfor. ggg@ "y I /v l a j lifergzys f UNITED: "STATES-PATENT; C) EFICEQ`` MITCHELL LAWRENCE," or CHESTER, MARYLAND.

SIPEQIFICA CLIONy forming part of Letters'Patent 1\l'o.f'02,104, .dated.'v June '1.0, 1.902.

Application filed November 6 1901. Serial No. 81,334. .(No model.) y

Toa/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MITCHELL LAWRENCE, a

citizen of the United States, lresiding'at Chester, in the county of Queen Anneand State of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulv Oyster-Tongs, of which the followingis a speciflcation.

My invention is an improved oyster-tongs; audit consists inthe peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forthandclaimed.

The object of my inventionis to effect improvements in the construction of the tongs section taken on a line a a of Fig. 2./

whereby the same are automatically oper ated to close thejaws j'o'r .members thereof whenthe same are lowered on a bed of oysters andare not operated when they are lowered on mud or sandy bottoms where there are no oysters,.thus vsaving the laborof hoisting the empt'ytongs to the surface to reset them when there has been no catch.- l, y i

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure', 1` is a side elevation of an oyster-'tongs embody-, ing my lmprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plane indicated y by the tively carried by curved levers 2, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected Vto opposite sides of a'fnut 3.1 I here show a pair of springs 4, whichare disposed between and connected at their extremities to said levers 2 to normally draw the same' toward' each other and close the jaws` ofthe tongs.' v The upper ends of the saids'pringshare iXedly secured tothe said levers, and. the lower ends r vthereof are slidably connected tov the levers, K'

said springs having slotsA 5 intheir lower ends which are engaged by studs or pins 6, which project from the inner sides of the levers and operate in the .said slots. .Within the 'scope A of my invention, hoWever, any suitable form of spring or springs inay'be employed for closing the jawsfof the tongs, and I .do not limit myself in this particular.

' A pair of toggle-links 7 have their outer ends respectively connected pivotally to the Infthe embodiment of my invention the jawsor members 1 of the tongs are respeclevers 2, as at8, the inner ends of the said toggle-links being pivotally 'connected to.- gether, as at 9.4 'A trip element 10, whichis here shown asa Vertical rod having afoot-11' at its lower endr and having ahead 12at its upper end, is attached to a barlfwhich is providedat its lendsfwith longitudinal' slots 1 4. Screws or studsl, which connectthe `said bear 13 to thetoggle-links'7, operate in the slots-14 ofsaid bar. v

A set-screw 16, which is of suitable length,

operates in the `mit 3 and isprovided at :its i upper end with aneye 17, to which is attached the lower end of apole 18, by means of which the' tongs may jbel raised and lowered and" by `means of which thescrew maybe rotated to cause it totravelin thefnut 8 toadjnst the said screw' with relationto the trip element. The pole v18 is iieXibly connected tothe setscrew to enable'theV pole to be'disposed at any necessary angle with relation to said screw, accordingto thewnature of theoyster-bedl as Y toits being level or undulating or inclined. r`

Theoperation of my impro vedoyster-tongs. is'as follows The screw-16 isturn'edby means of the pole 18 and causedto move downwardly in the nut 3 and by engagement with the head of the trip element move the latter, and hence the inner ends of the toggle-links 7, downwardly to dispose the said toggleelinks in the -i sameplane, and thereby move the levers 2 andthe jaws 1 outwardlyagainst'the tension of the springs 4, hence-opening the tongs in position to be lowered on the oyster-bed which itis desired to dredge. vThe ltong-s are then lowered bythe pole, and if they descend upon oysters the latter arrest. the descent of the trip element'lO, and the screw 16 having been previouslyelevated to allow the said trip elementi-o `move upwardly the latter by its upwardv movement with relation to the other parts of the tongs, which continue to descend,

moves the toggle-links upwardly a slight dis' tance past the dead-centers'fothe-screws or pins 15, whereupon thesprings act'to'close the tongs on the oysters, as wiljl -be understood. In the event that the tongs are lowered on barren mud or sand, wherethere are no oysters, the bottom offers no obstruction to the settling of the trip element 10, together with the other parts of the tongs, and hence the latter are not closed.

It will be understood that my improved tongs need only to be raised to the surface when oysters have been taken thereby, thus greatly reducing the labor of dredging.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In combination with the jaws or mem bers of an oyster-tongs, a spring to open the same, a depending trip element, connections between the latter and said members of the tongs, to open the latter against the tension of said spring, and means to set said trip element, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the jaws or members of an oyster-tongs, a spring to open the same, a depending trip element disposed between said members, iexible connections between said trip element and said members, to hold the latter open against the tension ot' said spring, means to raise and lower the tongs, and a set element, operated by said raising and lowering means, to set said trip element, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the jaws or members of an oyster-tongs, a spring to open the same, a vertically-movable depending trip element, disposed between said members, tleXible connections between said trip element and said members to hold the latter open against the tension of said spring, a nut, a set-screw therein, to set said trip element, and means to hoist and lower said tongs, said hoisting and lowering means being connected to said set-screw, and adapted to be used for rotating the latter, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the jaws or members of an oyster-tongs, a spring to open the same, a vertically-movable depending trip element, disposed between said members, flexible connections between said trip element and said members to hold the latter open against the tension of said spring, a nut, @set-screw therein to set said trip element, and a pole `connected to said set-screw, and adapted to be used for rotating the latter, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the members of an oyster-tongs, a nnt to which said members are pivotall y connected, a spring to normally close said members, toggle-links, connecting said members, a trip element,rcarried by said toggle -links and depending therefrom, a setscrew, operating in the said nut, and coacting with said toggle-links and trip element, to open said members against the tension of said spring, and a pole to hoist and lower said tongs, said pole being connected to and adapted to be used for turning said screw, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MITCHELL LAW RENCE.

Witnesses:

J. H. JocHUM, Jr., FRANK S. APPLEMAN. 

